Tears of an Angel
by DesertFlower303
Summary: This is a tribute to the death of Stefan Salvatore. I wanted to explore what I know the show will not in this scenario: As Elena and Damon are fleeing Mystic Falls, the psychic connection between Stefan and Elena forces her to Mystic Falls where her worst fears are confirmed. My inspiration for this fic was the song "Tears of an Angel" by Ryan Dan


Elena's heart raced as her and Damon sped away as fast as the car could take them. They'd made it out, she was sure of it, the power which had taken hold of them earlier losing it's grip with every passing second. She should have been relieved, but she was still terrified. If the spell couldn't be stopped, there wouldn't be a safe haven for _any _of them. Not without her or Stefan dying... Elena _shuddered_ at the thought, suddenly worried. Stefan was still in Mystic Falls. He'd stayed behind to make sure Caroline got out. She'd barely said a goodbye to him and as she considered this a sense of dread started to build inside of her...

The old Elena would've stayed behind until _everyone_ was out. She wouldn't have left without them, _especially not without Stefan_. Was she going to regret leaving him now? Luke and Liv had wanted to _kill_ them. In the chaos of the moments following their attempt, running away, their supernatural protections being taken away, being forced to re-live their deaths... they'd barely had a moment to consider the possibility that someone might _succeed_ in finishing the job and now... Elena couldn't shake the sense of dread building stronger inside of her-

-Elena cried out suddenly, gasping in pain as she clutched at her chest... sharp pain surrounding her heart as if someone had reached inside of her and ripped her heart out. She vaguely heard Damon and Jeremy's concerned voices, their hands on her shoulders as the car came to a halt, but she could barely comprehend anything beyond the pain. Elena clutched at her chest. She could feel that she was okay, she was in tact, but she couldn't snap out of it. Damon was jumping out of the car to her side, opening her door to make sure she was okay, but she could barely hear or see him. The sense of dread inside of her was becoming unbearable, getting stronger like a force of nature, out of her control. Something was happening outside of herself yet she was feeling it as if she was connected to the source of the pain.

Elena realized with an all consuming dread that she recognized what was happening, the connection she felt, the same connection she'd felt to Stefan all summer long, how she'd known something was wrong, how she'd dreamed of him in pain and terror, how she'd felt his pain, fear and despair as if his emotions were her own. This was the same connection, but this time it was different. This time something was beyond wrong... sharp pain surrounding her heart as if it was just gone... shock... desperate terror... and then nothing... empty... the nothingness was all consuming, like a black cloud surrounding her, blocking out everything else... like... like...

"Stefan!" she gasped almost unable to find her voice as a new wave of feelings came over her... grief, anger, desperation, sorrow... feelings unique to someone she knew inside and out. "Stefan..." she whispered, breathless, stumbling out of the car, Damon gripping her shoulders to keep her from collapsing. Elena collected herself finally, looking Damon hard in the eyes, panic taking her over. Damon was still trying to get through to her, his face a mask of deep concern.

"Elena, what is it? What about Stefan?"

He was trying to be calm but Elena could see he was starting to worry and as she collected herself she realized with absolute clarity that they had every reason to worry. All summer long she'd known something was wrong and she'd ignored it... _they'd_ ignored it... _they'd_ left him suffering until somebody else had found him, while they were living it up together, but she'd still known, just like she knew now... something was _wrong_... _very_ _wrong_... They'd left Stefan behind and now... Elena was sobbing now, shaking so violently that Damon was starting to panic, asking her if she was okay, to which she sobbed, "I'm fine, it's not me, it's Stefan!"

"Elena..." Damon spoke as calmingly as he could. "What's wrong? _What_ about Stefan?"

Elena met his eyes, tears flowing from her eyes desperately. "We _have_ to go back!" She stated panic saturating her voice. "I don't know what happened but we have to go back!"

"Elena we can't, the spe-"

"Something's happened to Stefan!" Elena cried cutting in. She couldn't stop shaking, couldn't stop the tears... she was getting the most horrible sense, a knowledge she willed with all her might to not be true. "We have to go back!" She cried again, not able to continue arguing. Damon finally seemed to get the drift and they darted back into the car, turning around, heading back to mystic falls.

Jeremy tried to calm her as they drove, but Elena couldn't concentrate on herself, simply staring at the road ahead, willing what she dreaded not to be true as she tried calling him over and over, getting no answer.

_Don't be dead Stefan, please don't be dead! _

Desperately she tried Caroline but still there was no answer. This wasn't good...

_Don't be dead Stefan, please don't be dead! _

No response...

"Damn it!" Elena cursed. "I can't reach them!" she cried. She could feel Jeremy's hands on her shoulders, still trying to soothe her, but she couldn't be soothed, not with this pit in her stomach threatening to overwhelm every ounce of control she had left.

_Don't be dead Stefan, please don't be dead! _

Before she knew it, they were back, pulling up to where they'd left Stefan to wait for Caroline...

Elena's heart stopped. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak.

_Cover my eyes_

_Cover my ears_

_Tell me these words are a lie_

_It can't be true_

_That I'm losing you_

_The sun cannot fall from the sky_

_Can you hear heaven cry_

_The tears of an angel_

Caroline was doubled over, heaving, hysterical, Stefan's body before her, motionless...

By the time Elena realized she was moving she could barely feel her feet on the ground. In an instant she was there, kneeling over Stefan's body, grey, lifeless with a hole where his heart should be. Elena's mouth fell open in a cry that wouldn't come out as she grabbed his face, shaking her head furiously.

_NO! _ she thought desperately _NO! STEFAN NO! NO! NO!_

_Stop every clock_

_The stars are in shock_

_The river won't run to the sea_

_I won't let you fly _

_I won't say goodbye_

_I won't let you slip away from me_

_Can you hear heaven cry_

_The tears of an angel_

She must have been screaming now because she felt Damon's arms around her, his own body shaking as he tried desperately to console her. But Elena could not be consoled, could not move from where she now clung to Stefan's lifeless form, her forehead pressed to his, Caroline's hands under his head, also unwilling to let go. But Elena barely felt Caroline's presence or Damon's arms around her, all she could feel was a white hot searing pain as she cried out for Stefan to come back, protested that he wasn't dead, he couldn't be. This was Stefan. _Stefan_. He was no allowed to die, he was supposed to be here with them, living his life. He was supposed to be_ living_... he couldn't be gone, he just couldn't be gone.

_Don't let go_

_Don't let go_

_Don't let go_

"Stefan..." Elena whimpered, willing him to live, though she knew all her desperation couldn't bring him back. He'd saved her so many times, in so many ways and now... there was _nothing she could do_. She _couldn't save him_. Stefan was _gone_ and in that moment she realized just how wrong she'd been in trying to make herself believe that there was nothing but friendship between them anymore. If this wasn't true love then why did it feel like a part of her had just died with him? She gazed down at him, tears falling onto his lifeless face, and in a voice she knew only he would realize the significance of, whispered. "I love you Stefan. Hold onto that. Never let it go."

_Cover my eyes_

_Cover my ears_

_Tell me these words are a lie_


End file.
